Wofford flips switch in second half to beat Georgia Southern

Thursday

Feb 6, 2014 at 11:17 PM

The Terriers cranked up the defensive intensity and turned a 12-point deficit into a blowout victory on Thursday night.

By TODD SHANESYtodd.shanesy@shj.com

Wofford basketball coach Mike Young promised he doesn’t have some sort of secret button under his seat that turns on the Terriers’ energy when they need some.But it sure seemed like it.Wofford, down 12 points with about 13 minutes remaining, went on a 30-7 run to turn a potential blowout loss into a blowout win, 74-61, Thursday night in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.Karl Cochran, who scored 27 points, said what ignited the change was within each player.“It is a switch, in fact. It’s a defensive switch,” Cochran said. “Our defense always pushes our offense. We’ve made it a point this season not to let our offense dictate our defense but to let our defense dictate our offense. Once we get three stops in a row, we get really fired up.”Wofford leads the Southern Conference in fewest points allowed per game and ranks second in field-goal percentage defense. But Georgia Southern shot 54 percent in the first half for a 35-27 lead. To start the second half, the Eagles had 11 points on their first five possessions, going 4-for-5 from the floor, and built the advantage to 46-34.“We’ve been in worse situations,” Cochran said.Wofford, however, had been 1-9 this season when trailing at the half. And the first four minutes the second half showed no promise for a positive outcome.“There was no fire and brimstone at the half. There was no ultimatum,” Young said. “It was just, ‘Let’s get back to what we do defensively. We’re the best defensive team in the Southern Conference. Let’s be that team. If we’re that team, everything will take care of itself.’ ”Wofford (12-10, 7-3 Southern Conference) has won five straight and sits in third place, behind the first-place tie of Chattanooga and Davidson with 9-1 records. The Terriers play 7 p.m. Saturday at The Citadel, which is 0-10 in the league but took Wofford to overtime on Jan. 9. Spencer Collins scored 11 straight points for Wofford and pulled the Terriers into a tie at 54 with seven minutes remaining. All four of his field goals were on drives to the basket and he added three free throws. The last two layups were acrobatic, including the final one on which he changed hands in mid-air.“We were finally coming around,” said Collins, who scored 19 points. “We were working the ball and everything was coming together. I was getting to the lane pretty easily and I knew I would at least get fouled if I got in there. It gave us a little momentum.”In the middle of that run, Collins also made a defensive play as he knocked hard to the floor on a charging foul. “That was huge,” Young said. “Spencer had a willingness to step in there, put his nose in there and take the hit. That’s a tough play. It really gave us a lift. Along with Cochran’s heroics, that charge could have been the key to the game.”Cochran, after Spencer had lifted the Terriers into a tie, hit a floater in the lane and then back-to-back 3-pointers for a 62-55 lead with 4:22 left. Lee Skinner scored 11 points (5-for-8 shooting) and had 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double in Wofford’s past 10 games. Twice he missed that accomplishment by a single point or rebound. Aerris Smith started and played only eight minutes but had five points and three rebounds. Jaylen Allen had five points, two assists, two steals and two rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench. He hit a 3-pointer to put the Terriers up by 10 with 3½ minutes remaining.

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